The Darkroom Wallet
by June Ann D'Angelo
Diving into film photography is a very unique process. Everyone does it different. Some have been digital photographers for a while and want to start learning something new that is actually really old. Or someone might have taken a class in college and wanting to start their own set up. Or someone like me who spent years in front of a camera and wanted to get on the other side of that lens. I started with digital and just did not have a visceral connection to it like I do with film photography. So this is where I landed.
Like many of you, there is a chance you probably knew someone playing with film photography and you decided that it's cool and want to learn. That person becomes your mentor and you slowly build your experience and darkroom. This is exactly how I received my first film camera. My mentor and buddy, Steve Yancey, gave me the opportunity to take a Graflex Crown Graphic off his hands for $100 this past summer and my obsession began. The rest of 2017 was spent learning how to use my camera and handing off my film holders to Steve and then he would develop them.
At the end of 2017, I decided to get a bit more serious with it and decided to invest in my hobby a bit more. I was lucky that Steve had already tried out a bunch of different things, so it was easy to narrow down what I wanted and I have now processed my first roll of 35mm black and white film. Yay. As of now, I am set up to take 4x5's and 35mm images and process the negatives. I have two enlargers that I was gifted that I am also working on restoring so that I can go all the way to the prints.
I am hoping to be extremely honest and upfront in this segment of the blog so that you can see what I am getting and how much I am spending. As I find cost-saving tips, you better believe I will be sharing them here with all of you. I must say that there are a lot of rice and beans dinners coming my way, but I don't think I'll mind one bit!
COST-SAVINGS TIP: Head into your local camera/film store and ask if they have student discounts. It might just save you a bit.